The Officer and the Speed Offender
by UnWritten007
Summary: He had already worked up quite a sweat on his own, but when the red and blue lights started to flash in the rear view mirror, he nearly felt drenched. Oneshot.


_Disclaimer: I do not own the Office_

He had already worked up quite a sweat on his own, but when the red and blue lights started to flash in the rear view mirror, he nearly felt drenched.

_I can't stop now! Should I try to outrun him? _

As far as crazy moods went, Jim Halpert was having the most insane one of his life. He was desperately trying to reach Scranton...as fast as humanly possible. He had realized he was in the wrong place. Realized he was with the wrong woman. And now, he couldn't stand to stay in this situation for a second more.

He felt like if he didn't reach Pam right now and claim her for himself, she'd be swept up. Maybe Roy would come back again. Maybe Toby would take another swing at it.

No, Pam was his. All his. He just had to let her know.

Wait, did he just think about trying to outrun a police officer? No good. It wouldn't look too swell if he asked Pam out for a date - from his jail cell.

He slowed down, pulled off to the right side of the road. He knew he had been going too fast, but at what speed? The road sign declared that fifty five miles per hour was the limit. He knew very well he was at least going seventy. Not the smartest of moves on his part. But that was hindsight talking. Too late now.

He swiped the sweat from his forehead with the sleeve of his shirt, then returned his hands to the steering wheel. He wanted to do everything right so he would be released quickly.

Did they throw people in jail for going eighty? He wasn't sure if he was going that fast, but really, he knew it could have been even more.

Maybe if he started a flow of tears, he could get out of this in a pinch. After all, isn't that what helpless women do? Blubber until the police officer just lets them go?

"Your driver's liscence and registration, sir?" The officer said.

As Jim rooted through his things to find the items requested, the officer kept talking. "Are you aware you were going over seventy five miles per hour in a fifty five zone?"

So it was seventy five. Definitely not good. But it could have been worse. He really wasn't thinking today. His mind was so scattered...he really shouldn't be driving. His hand found purchase on his registration, and he slipped his liscence from his wallet, handing them both over. "I'm really sorry. No, I wasn't aware."

The officer walked back to his car to check things out, then came walking back. "Want to tell me what possessed you to drive so recklessly, James Halpert?"

Jim blew upwards in hopes to cool off his forehead and unstick some of his strands of hair from his wet skin. "Long story."

The cop checked his watch. "I got time. Let's here it."

Maybe he was just lonely or bored that he wanted to hear the story. Maybe he was deciding if a ticket just wasn't enough. Either way, Jim figured it would be in his best interest to give up some of the information.

"I'm driving back from New York. I uh, realized I was making a mistake. I'm on my way to fix it."

"That's your long story? Come on, I want details. Right now."

Jim tapped his thumbs on the steering wheel. _Calm down, Halpert. This isn't the high school prom. Pam won't be snatched up by the popular jock just because you're a little late with your offer._ "Like I said, I was in New York. With my girlfriend -well, ex-girlfriend now. I was interviewing for a job in Dunder-Mifflin Corporate. But it was a mistake, which I quickly realized it was, so now I'm coming back to fix it."

"So this is about a job?"

The corners of Jim's lips tugged in to a small smile. "No. It's what it's always about. It's about a woman. A very special, great woman."

"I'm going to guess this isn't about the ex then, correct?" The officer was a bit pushy with the information.

"No. I'm heading to Scranton. Trying to get to the greatest woman alive. Last year, I confessed that I loved her. She was getting married to another then, so it didn't go over well. So all year, because I was hurt from what she did, I dated a woman in front of her. You know, in spite, kind of. Don't get me wrong, Karen is a great girl. She's really...awesome. But she's not for me. Because I already have someone. A week ago, Pam told me she called off her wedding for me. Like, wow. I never thought it was because of that. But she kept hinting that she...you know, cared about me. And now I realize that throwing that away would be the biggest mistake of my life. I got to get to her. I got to tell her. And I've been so worried about what I'd say to her that I wasn't really paying attention to my speed. I'm really sorry about that, by the way. I'm always a safe driver. It's kind of a fluke, this. I never got a ticket in my life. Well, since my teen years. But that was forever ago."

The officer, who had been listening to this with interest, nodded. Jim wasn't sure why the officer was still here, or listened to any thing he just said. He was fiddling with something in his hand. Something small. He glanced at it a few times, once Jim saw what it was. A picture of a pretty woman, smiling lovingly at the camera. Before he could see much though, the officer replaced it in his pocket.

"Is she worth getting such a hefty ticket for?"

Jim smiled with a nod. "Definitely."

"What about jail time?"

The smile faltered. He didn't like the sound of where this was going. "Uh...yeah."

The officer ripped off a piece of paper from his pad and handed it to Jim. A hefty ticket indeed, but nothing about jailtime.

"Alright then, what are you waiting for? Go and get her." The police officer, who's badge suddenly came in to the clear that read O'Brian, hit the side of the door for encouragement.

Definitely a sentence that Jim wasn't prepared for, but wasn't going to argue. "Oh...wow, thanks."

O'Brian nodded with a sad smile on his face. "Best of luck." Were his last words before walking back to his car.

Jim slowly pulled out and on to the highway, careful to do everything right. Heading back to Scranton, his smile started up again. He had the blessing of a police officer now, to go ask Pam for that date. It was the encouragement, the faith, that he needed. With a positive look on the outcome of the near future, Jim started to plan out what he would say to Pam when he ultimately reached her.


End file.
